Condenser



Feb. 23 1926.

H. F. SCHMIDT CONDENSER Filed Feb; 20, 1920 INVEN TOR.

4 MM m h c 5 E W n e H% Y B ATTORNEY Patented F e. 23, 1926.

, UNITED STATES HENBY r. sc'mnn'r, or SWARTHMORE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB 'ro wnsrme- HOUSE EIiECTRIG &. MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

CONDENSER.

Application filed February 20, 1920. Serial No. 360,190.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY F. SCHMIDT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Swarthmore. in the "county of Delaware ,and State of Pennsylvania, have made anew and useful Invention in Condensers. of which the following 1s a specification. My invention relates to condenslng ap- ,paratus and particularly to condensers of .ve-i the surface type and it has forits object to provide a compact form of apparatus of the character designated and one wherein the fluid to be condensed passes through a short path, of cross-section proportional to the volume thereof, the non-condensable residue being effectively separated and the condensate operating to cool the incoming condensable fluid.

There are certain principles of condenser construction that have been found to. produce the best obtainable results, that is, condensers having a short flow through the cooling-tube nest ofiers least resistance to the passage of fluid to be condensed, and therefore the difference in pressure between the point of complete condensation and the fluid inlet to the condenser is held to a minimum, and the best distribution of cooling surface is obtained in condensers having a diminishing or converging condensing area from the inlet toward the point of complete condensation within the condenser. v

I have further found that the ejector for the non-condensable fluids operates with improved efficiency when the density of the fluid is increased by cooling prior to its passage to the ejector, and that the general efliciency of the condenser is increased by subjecting the condensate as itrains from the cooling water tube nest to direct eon-,

tact with the incoming steam.

In addition, there are other objects, which will be made apparent throughout the further description of my invention, attained by means of the condenser herein described and illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part hereof.

The single figure of the accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic transverse section of my improved condenser.

Referring to the drawing, the condenser illustrated comprises a shell of pear-shaped cross-section 2 having a fluid inlet 3 adjacent the large lower end thereof, and a noncondensable fluid ofltake 4 adjacent the point of convergence of the converging walls of the shell, This form of shell is particularly well adapted for marine installations, wherein the available space is limited, and it will later appdar that the pear-shaped shell affords a form in .which the desired condensing apparatus may be compactly arranged so that the maximum economy is obtained in the operation of the condenser.

A nest of condensing tubes 5 is disposed within the upper part of the shell 2 in such manner that fluid entering the shell "2 through the inlet 3 flows through the nest toward the air ofl'take 4. The lower entrance face of the nest of tubes 5 extends from a point directly above the fluid inlet 3, downwardly across the condenser to a point just beyond the hot well 6, which is disposed in the bottom of the shell. It will be seen that this arrangement of tube nest provides an entrance face directly exposed to the incoming steam, and that a diminishing condensing area is presented to the fluid as it progresses from the inlet to the air offtake. The path of-steam flow through the nest of tubes is relatively short, and this feature, combined with the arrangement of tubes between converging walls of the condenser shell whereby the condensing area diminishes toward the air offtake, materially reduces the obstruction to the steam flow through the nest.

I have found that the general efiiciency "of the condensing apparatus is increased if the non-condensable fluids are cooled prior to their. passage to the ejector apparatus. Owing to the high degree of vacuum existing within an eflicient condenser, the heated non-condensable fluids arein a highly rarefiedstate and therefore considerable efl'ort is required to compress them to atmospheric pressure. By cooling the air or other noncondensable fluid, to increase its density before it enters the ejector, the efficiency of the ejector apparatus is increased.

In order to effect a maximum cooling of the-air or non-condensable fluids, I have arranged the condenser so that the steam flows in at the bottom of the shell and travels upward through the tube nest and out at the air ofitake, which-is disposed at the top' of the condenser shell above the nest "of tubes. The air adjacent the top of the shell is free from the hot condensate raining through the tube nest and is directly ex posed to the cooling action of the, uppermost tubes adjacent the air ofi'take. The path'of the air past the uppermost tubes may be lengthened by a series of interleavin baflles 7, which direct the air to the air 0 take through the tortuous passages formed by the battles, thereby ensuring eflicient cooling of the air prior to its passage to the ejector.

Referring to the drawingit will be noted that the condensate raining from the tubes passes through the stream of incoming steam, and therefore will absorb heat from the steam and at the same time condense a portion thereof. The water flowing to the hot Well is therefore at substantially the same temperature as the inflowing steam,

' and, if the condensate is used for feed-water purposes, a minimum of heat is lost in the condensing operation.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not 'so limited but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications Without departing from the spirit thereof andI desire, therefore, that onlysuch-limitations shall be placedthereuponas are imposed by the prior art or as. are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is: 1. A. condensercomprising a shell having upwardly converging side walls and rovided with a fluidinlet adjacent the ottom thereof, a non-conden'sable-fluid ofltake adjacent the point of convergence of the side walls, a nest of tubes disposed between the converging sidewalls and in the path of fluid flowing from the fluid inlet to the fluid ofitake, baflles disposed adjacent the said ofl'take for directing the non-condensable fluids past the up ermost tubes of the said nest, and means or withdrawing condensate from the bottom of the shell.

2. A condenser comprising a shell having upwardly converging side walls and provided with a fluid inlet adjacent the bottom thereof, a non-condensable-fluid,ofltake adjacent the point of convergence of the side walls, a nest of tubes disposed between the converging side walls and in the path of fluid flowing from the fluid inlet to the .fluid oiftake, interleaved bailies disposed within the nest. of tubes and adjacent the said olftake for directing the non-'condensable fluid past the uppermost tubes of the said'nest, and means for withdrawing condensate from the bottom of said shell. 1

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 17th day of February, 1920.

HENRY F. SCHMIDT. 

